Railway car structure



Sept. 29, 1931. H. M. PFLAGER RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 11. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 flfP/ayzn OENEY Sept. 29, 1931. H. M. PFLAGER 1,325,475

RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Filed Aug '11, 1950 s Shets-Sheet 2 '4 I INVENTOR NEY- L Sept..29, 1931. H. MQ PFLAGER 1,825,476-

RAILWAY GAR STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /7 INMENTQR ATTOPNE) H. M. PFLAGER RA-ILWAY AR STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 11. 1950 5 Sheets-Shet 5 Sept. 29, 1931.

lllllflflrl Patented Sept. 29, 1931 ."QUNITEDSITATESQ" PA ENT OFFICE HARR n. PFLAGERQF s'r. Louis, iv rssounr, Assrenon GENERAL srnnr. oAsTINos CORPORATION, on GRANITE crrY, rumors, A CORPORATION or nnLAwAnn RAILWAY can s'rnuciun n a Application'filed August 11 1930. Serial no. 474,561.

My invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in a complete car body and iinde'rframe unitary structure and. the,

method of'forming the same. it 5? "One object of 'HlYfllIlVGllbiOIl is to provide a light, strong car' structure which mayrbe made at a reasonable cost.

derframein an integral-unit and preferably 11: the entire car body and underframe is formed.

substantiallyof two'such' units, "each comprising a longitu-dinal half of the car structure. One effective way of forming this preferred structure is to utilize a onerpiece 11 casting for each unit. e I

Other obj ects attainedby this structure are present in the usual built-up construction and is greatly facilitatedby the accumulation of moisture and dirt in the joints. f I

I desire to carry th'e carfiload throughdai unitary structure which will* include a cen-- ter sill from end to end and sidewalls united therewith inisuch manner as to contribute to carrying the load.

469,405; filed July'21, 1930, I disclose complete oar body and underframe structure formed in a single casting. By making the a car structure in two units as described here-:

1n, I am able to make the castingin a shallower mold than is possible where the com-- plete car body is formed in one piece, thus reducing'the cost of manufacture, and the attainment of this advantage is ject of my invention. 3

Other detailed objects oi. my invention will appear from the -foll-owing description and I attain all of-the objects referred to by the structure illustrated .in the drawings in Which Figure 1- :is a top view of a railway car structure. v V

Flgure 2 is in part a side elevation and. in

part a vertical section on the line 2- 2 of vI desire to-ttorm substantial portions of the .car body'and un-,

car from end to end i I piececcasting. y $5 In'my copending application, SerialtNo.

another ob-" accompanying Figures 3, 5, 6 and 7 are vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines ofFigure 1. v

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the car structure. v i

Figure 8 is a diagrammatical and illustrates a preferrcdmethod of casting oneof the units of the car structure.

Figure 9 is a vertical transverse section similar to Figure 5r' illustrating a modified structure. m

Figure 1.0 is a longitudinal vertical section through the end of a modified structure, the section being taken on the line 1010 of Figure 12. l Q 7 Figure 11 is an end View of the latter.

a Figure 12 is a horizontal section taken on the line 12- -12 of Figure 11.

Figures 13 and 14 are vertical transverse sections illustrating another modification of my invention,

The preferred structure embodies two inajor units which I designate 1 and 2, respectively. Referring-to Figure 5,it will be seen that the right hand unit comprises a floor portion, side wall portion, and a center sill portion, all extending. longitudinally of the and formed by a one- The center sill portion comprises a vertributes a top flange to the centersill. The car side wall portion 6 extends :upwardly from the outer edge'of the floor and a plu rality of transverse transoms'have vertical webs 7 extending from the center sill web" 3 outwardly along the floor 5' and have integral; continuations extending upwardly alongthe carsid e in stake form. A flange 18 along the lower edge of web 7 merges with adjacent center sill flange 4! The outer end of flange 18 terminat-es justabove the level of the floor. The elements 7, 8 and 18 and the adj aoent portion of the floor 5 and wall 6 form a transom or cross bearer of I beam section, merging with a nertical stake of T section serving to reinforce the structiire in;

. termediate itsends. A reinforcing flange 9 extends along the upper edge of the car side wall.

Each end of the unit 1 includes spaced bolster walls 22 extending outwardly from the web 3 and merging with a single bolster web 22a having an upward extension 22?) along the car side wall. Transverse bolster webs 23 cooperate with central vertical web 3 to distribute the vertical load to the center plates 25 applied to the lower webs 26 of the bolster members.

A draft sill 27 at each end of unit 1 extends from the box-like end sill 28 to the bolster and is alined with webs 23 to better distribute the longitudinal forces. Pref-erably the draft sills include integral elements 29 for spacing the draft rigging and also include elements 30 forming stops for the draft lugs.

Brackets 31 and 32 are formed integrally with the floor and center sill portions of unit 1 and serve to mount the air brake cylinder and reservoir.

The other major unit 2 is substantially like unit 1 but its floor 11 includes a portion 12 extending beyond its center sill web portion 16 and overlapping the depressed portion of the floor of unit 1 and cooperating with the remainder of the floor portion of unit 1 to maintain a flat floor surface.

Each of the units includes an end wall element 10 preferably formed integral with the side wall and floor in the shape of a triangular web extending from the juncture of the floor and side wall to an inclined line connecting the top of the side wall and the inner portion of the floor. The end of the car is completed by a triangular plate 21 formed separately from either unit and secured to elements 10.

Ties or. gussets 17 extend across the lower portions of the transoms and prevent separation of the units which might otherwise result from concentrating the car load along the center of the floor.

The two units are riveted to each other, through the overlapping floor elements, throughout the length of the car and also through their abutting sill elements 3 and 16. y The riveting together of the end wall elements constitutes an additional tie.

By referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that the major unit 1 may be cast in a mold of substantially less depth than the vertical distance from the top of the car side wall to the bottom of the center sill. This fact, and the casting of a single half of the car at one time, makes it possible to use a much smaller mold than would be required if the entire car body and underframe were cast in one piece and, also, the casting should be of more uniform density because of the reduction in the head of molten metal existing when the casting is poured.

By forming the side wall, floor, and center sill elements as described, the side wall contributes materially to the carrying of the car load and it is possible to eliminate the usual side sills below the floor, thus providing a structure of minimum weight and also increasing clearance below the ear floor. The castings are further lightened by the free use of suitable openings 44 in various webs. Numerous other elements of the complete car may be formed integrally with the major units and I refer specifically to the push pole pockets 33, the coupler carrier brackets 34, and the side bearing mounting pads 35.

In the modified structure illustrated in Figure 9, I show my invention as embodying a box-shaped center sill. In this structure, each unit 35 and 36, respectively, will have an individual depending center sill web 37 provided with a bottom flange 38. These bottom flanges 38 and the inner portions 39 of the floors 40 are secured together by bolting, riveting, or welding to form a box girder extending from bolster to bolster.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 illustrate modified and structure in which the entire end is formed by integral portions of the two units 41 and 42. Each of the end elements 43 is of rectangular shape and their contiguous ed es overlap and are riveted together.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate another modification in which the right hand unit 51 is provided with a center sill web 53 and the left hand unit 52 has no such sill web but itstransom webs 54 terminate in vertical flanges 55 which may be secured to web' 53. Web 53 has lower flanges 56 and with the adjacent floor elements 57 and 58 completes a desirable I-beam section center sill directly supporting the left hand unit 52. Otherwise the units are substantially like those shown in Figures 1 to 8,

While I have shown the car body and underframe structure formed of two major units. each consisting of a single casting, it is within the spirit of my invention to form each of these units extending only a half or less of the length of the car and to unite the same similarly to the manner in which the illustrated units are united. Similarly, the end wall elements. or a part or all of one or more transom or bolster elements. could be formed separately and united with the corresponding maior unit and still embody the broader features of my invention. I refer particularly to the formation of an integral unit, comprising a car body side wall element and a floor element, adapted to be secured to a complementary unit to form a complete cross section of a car underframe and body with side walls.

While I have shown the two units riveted to each other and further secured by ties riveted to the two units, I also contemplate securing the units together by means of welded or bolted joints and I contemplate the exextending transversely along said wall and floor portions.

means clusive use of various other modifications of my invention coming within the scope of my claims and including the spirit of my invention as expressed in my claims.

I claim: 1

1. A railway car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a center sill integral with said floor.

2. A railway car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a center sill integral with said floor and provided with elements for engaging and supporting a complementary car fioor unit.

3. A railway car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a center sill integral with said fioor and depending therefrom, and a transverse reinforcing member extending from the lower part of said sill outwardly and upwardly to said floor.

4. A railway car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a center sill integral with said floor and depending therefrom, and a transverse reinforcing member extending from the lower part of said sill outwardly and upwardly to said floor, said structure being provided with elements for engaging and supporting a complementary car floor and transom unit.

5. A unitary structure comprising a car side wall portion and approximately half of a car floor portion.

6. A unitary structure comprising a car side wall portion, approximately'half of a car floor portion, and a car center sill portion below said floor portion.

7. A unitary structure comprising a car side wall portion, approximately half of a car floor portion, and a reinforcing member 8. A unitary structure comprising a car side wall portion, approximately half of a car floor portion, a center sill portion below said floor portion, and a reinforcing member extending transversely from the lower portion of said center sill portion upwardly and outwardly along said floor and wall portions.

9. A car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a. center sill formed integrally with said floor, there being a recess in the top of said structure for receiving a projecting floor element on a complementary structure.

10. A car structure comprising a longitudinal half section of a car floor and a center sill formed integrally with said floor, there being tion..

1112.: A :imitary :strncturecompris'ing chm plete side wall, =o'nelongitudinal: half :of. a car rfl'oor, aind'car end iportionszextending between theiends of-said side wallan'd cfloor.

* 1 13. A tumm structure comprising a u 15. A railwaycar consisting of two units extending" longitudinally of the car, one unit comprising approximately a half of th e ear floor with an integral center fsill depending therefrom, andthe otherunitcomprising lthe remainder *of the car floor with .zdependingelem'ents' "for attachment oentersi ll. 16; railway car consisting 1 of .twoainits extendinglongitudinally of the car, one unit.

oomprising approximately a half of the car floor with anqintegral oenter isill depending therefrom, and the other unit comprising the remainder-of the' ca'r fioor with depending elements for attachment to said center sill, and a side wall extending upwardly from the outer edge of the floor portion of each unit.

17. A railway car structure consisting of two units each comprising approximately a longitudinal half of the car body and a depending sill element, said units being joined together throughout their length and cooperating to form a single box section center sill.

18. A railway car structure'consisting of two units, each comprising approximately a longitudinal half of the car body with transverse transoms extending outwardly there from, said units being joined together throughout their length to form a single box section center sill, and transverse transoms extending from side to side of the car.

19. A railway car structure consisting of two units extending longitudinally of the car and each comprising approximately one longitudinal half of the car floor and one side wall and an end wall element bracing .said floor portion and said side wall.

20. A railway car structure'consisting of two units extending longitudinally of the car and each comprising one half of the car floor and one side wall and a triangular web extending transversely of said floor and wall from the juncture of the latter to a line ex tending from the top of said side wall to the inner portion of said floor, and an end wall portion and the sinner :of floor :por:

element connecting said triangular webs to each other to complete the car end wall.

21. A railway car structure consisting of two units each comprising approximately a longitudinal half of the car body and a part of a center sill web depending from the car body along its longitudinal center line, said units being joined together throughout the length of the car.

22. A railway car consisting of two units extending longitudinally of the car, one unit comprising approximately one half of the car floor with an integral centersill web depending therefrom along its inner edge, and the other unit comprising the remainder of the car floor with an extension overlapping the car floor portion of the first unit and with an integral center sill web depending therefrom and secured to the web of the first unit and cooperating therewith to form a single center sill for the car structure.

23. A railway car comprising two units extending longitudinally of the car, each unit including avertical web with a-fiange along its lower edge and a car floor web along its upper edge, said units having their webs secured together to form acar structure with a substantially single I beam. section center sill.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 29th day of J uly, 1930.

H. M. PFLAGER. 

